Guitar tone bar



D66. 1, 1931. MORGAN 1,834,252

GUITAR TONE BAR Filed July 17, 1930 M17528 F Morgan INVENTOR ATTORNEVPatented Dec. 1, 1931 i PATENT OFFICE M'ILAs E. MORGAN, or TULSA,OKLAHOMA enimn TONE BAR Application filed July 17,1930. Serial No.468,658.

' This invention relates to a tone bar, or as such devices areordinarilycalled, a steel for use in fretting the strings of a guitar orsimilar stringed instrument. The ordinary tone .z' bar is so shaped thatthe tones are not as resonant or as harmonious as they might be andpractically impossible, in the use thereof, to produce tremolo tones.Another dis advantage presented by such devices as ordinarily employedis that the strings will frequently rattle, therefore the primary objectof the present invention is to provide a tone bar which will overcomeall of the disadvantages, outlined above, and one which will be soshaped as to permit of its beingmore conveniently grasped by the fingersof the left hand of the player and more readily manipulated than suchdevices as have previously been employed, the finger piece of the deviceembodying the invention being furthermore so formed as to enable theplayer to most effectually produce tremolo. V

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangementof the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,and specifically pointed out in the appended claim, it

meral 4, as may be desired. The string engaging piece3 has its sides 5downwardly diverged with respect to each other and merging on curvedlines as indicated by the numeral 6 with the flat sides of the fingerpiece 65 3 and preferably the string engaging piece 3 will have atransversely convex rounded underside 7 which side is toengage thestrings of the instrument.

From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be evidentthatdue to the peculiar formation of the finger piece 3, the same may bemore conveniently gripped and more conveniently manipulated than ispossible by the use of finger pieces of he ordinary tone bars heretoforeemployed.

It will also beevident that'the rounded surface 7 of the string engagingpiece 5, constitutes a means whereby a tremolo effect may be readilyobtained by rocking the bar with a rapid back and forth motion whilethis face is in contact with the strings.

lVhat I claim is:

A bar to be used for producing tremolo sound upon a steel guitarconsisting of an oblong body of uniform breadth and thickness throughoutits length, saidbody having arcuately curved surfaces extending alongits longitudinal edges and disposed transversely thereof, one of saidsurfaces being broader transversely than the other, the body havingparallel side surfaces joining the edges of the narrower arcuate edgesurface and having converging side surfaces joining the edges of thebroader arcuate edge surface.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

. I MILAS F. Monhau.

preferably be made of steel or bronze and com prisesan integral cast ormolded body which is so formed as to provide a finger piece which 45 isindicated in general by the numeral 1, and a string engaging piece whichis indicatedin general by the numeral 2. The finger piece 1 hassubstantially parallel flat sides 3 and it maybe either flat at itsupper side or-slightly convexly rounded as indicated by the nu-

